Principal's Message
School Philosophy
Orchard Grove Primary School is committed to providing a safe, nurturing environment that engages curiosity, promotes learning, personal growth, and well-being for all students. We strive to develop adaptability and resilience so students can become valued members of the local and global communities and be prepared for future life experiences.
From the Principal
As many of you may be aware, Michelle Ogilvie’s last day with us was on Tuesday as she begins a period of leave. On behalf of our entire school community, we would like to wish her all the very best during her time away. We hope she enjoys a well-earned break and look forward to welcoming her back at the beginning of Term 3. While Michelle is away, I am very much looking forward to supporting our school community and continuing the fantastic work happening across the school. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
It was wonderful to see so many people dressed up for our Starlight Foundation fundraiser. While our final fundraising total is yet to be confirmed, it was fantastic to see our community getting behind such a worthy cause. I am also looking forward to hearing each year level’s jokes at our next assembly!
Today, we had eight students represent our school at Regional Cross Country in Yarra Glen. What a fantastic achievement to progress to this level of competition — they have done our school incredibly proud. These students, along with many others, also competed at Division Cross Country last Monday, where I was lucky enough to attend and witness some outstanding performances. Please check out our socials to see photos from the event.
On the topic of sport, we would also like to wish all of our Year 5 and 6 students the very best as they compete in Winter Interschool Sports tomorrow. We know they will represent Orchard Grove with pride and excellent sportsmanship. Someone else that previously represented our school well was Max Gruzewski. At our last assembly, it was wonderful to welcome our former School Captain and current GWS Giants AFL player into our Hall of Fame. We sincerely thank Max for giving up his time to visit and share stories of his time at Orchard Grove and his experiences playing AFL football.
Last week, our Year 2 students visited the Zoo and, despite braving some challenging weather conditions, had a fantastic day full of fun and rich learning experiences. Students thoroughly enjoyed exploring the zoo and seeing a wide range of animals up close, with many excitedly sharing stories about their favourite exhibits and animal encounters upon returning to school. A big thank you to all of the parents who attended and supported the excursion. Your assistance helped make the day such a positive and enjoyable experience for our students.
This week and next week, our specialist timetable has changed. This is so teachers can prepare and get organised their learning programs for Term 3. During this time, students may have specialist sessions at different times or on different days. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility during this period.
Finally, if you know of any families with children beginning school next year, please let them know that school tours can now be booked online on our school’s website. We have also introduced our “Step into Prep” sessions for students commencing Foundation next year. These are designed to help children become familiar with the school environment and some of our teachers. Last week, we held our Art session, and our final session will take place on 18th June in the STEM room. If you know a family with a child starting school next year, please encourage them to attend, you don’t need to register just arrive at the school office before 4pm on the day. Everyone is welcome — even families who are not yet enrolled. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet staff, connect with other families and experience some of what Orchard Grove has to offer.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Andrew Moore
Acting Principal